A. D DRESS 


7 

ON 


Httwwitg 


DELIVERED  12$  THE 


BEPBESE]<rTATITESJ 

AT  DES  MOINES,  FEBRUARY  Oth,  1860, 


BY  THE 

REV,  SILAS  TOTTZEIsT,  33.  ID. 


PRESIDENT  OF  THE  IOWA  STATE  UNIVERSITY. 


DES  MOINES,  IOWA. 
JOHN  TEESDALE,  STATE  PRINTER. 

1860. 


ADDRESS 


ON 

(^duration, 

DELIVERED  IN  THE 

I2/EI:>I^ESE2<rT^.TI'VES7  HALL, 

\ 

AT  DES  MOINES,  FEBRUARY  6tii,  1860, 

BY  THE 

REV,  SILAS  TOTTEN,  ID.  ID., 

PRESIDENT  OF  THE  IOWA  STATE  UNIVERSITY. 


JAES  MOINES,  IOWA. 
JOHN  TEESDALE,  STATE  PRINTER. 

1860. 


7 


ADDRESS 

On  University  Education,  delivered  in  the  Hall  of  Represen¬ 
tatives,  at  Des  Moines,  February  6th,  1860,  by  the  Rev. 
Silas  Totten,  D.  D.,  Pres’t  of  the  Iowa  State  University. 


Gentlemen  of  the  Senate  and 

House  of  Representatives: 

I  am  here,  at  the  request  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  your  Uni¬ 
versity,  to  address  you  on  the  subject  of  Education;  and  more 
particularly  on  that  kind  of  education  which  it  is  the  province  ot 
the  University  to  afford.  In  behalf  of  the  Trustees,  I  thank  you 
for  the  use  of  this  Hall,  and  for  the  opportunity  to  speak  in  a  cause 
which  I  deem  the  most  important  that  can  engage  the  attention  of 
legislators,  one  in  which  I  have  ever  felt  a  deep  interest ;  and  to 
which  I  have  devoted  nearly  thirty  years  of  unremitted  labor.  My 
subject  has  not  the  attraction  of  novelty;  and  I  can  hardly  hope 
to  offer  anything  entirely  original,  or  anything  with  which  many 
of  you  are  not  already  familiar ;  but  it  I  can  succeed  in  eliciting 
your  earnest  attention  to  the  subject  itself,  by  presenting  the  con¬ 
clusions  to  which  I  have  arrived  as  the  results  of  reading,  observa¬ 
tion  and  experience,  my  object  will  be  accomplished. 

One  of  the  most  distinguished  scholars  that  modern  England  has 
produced,  was  the  son  of  a  gardener,  and  followed  his  father’s 
occupation  till  he  was  eighteen  years  of  age.  At  that  period  of 
his  life,  his  employer  found  him,  one  day  at  noon,  sitting  in  the 
shade,  and  reading  the  Greek  poet,  Eschylus.  When  asked  when 
and  how  he  had  learned  to  read  Greek,  he  replied,  that  he  had 


4 


been  taught  to  read  English  by  the  servants  on  the  estate,  and  had 
borrowed  books  from  the  old  school  master  who  lived  near.  When 
further  questioned,  it  was  found  that  he  could  read  and  translate 
any  Greek  or  Latin  author  with  ease ;  and  he  seemed  surprised 
that  any  attainments,  further  than  the  ability  to  read,  should  be 
thought  necessary,  in  order  to  acquire  a  knowledge  ot  classical  lit¬ 
erature,  or  indeed  any  knowledge  which  might  be  derived  from 
books.  And  the  learned  gardener  was  right.  The  ability  to  read 
puts  the  diligent  student  in  possession  of  the  means  of  acquiring 
all  knowledge.  It  is  the  key  with  which  he  may  unlock  the  store¬ 
house  of  knowledge.  It  introduces  him  to  an  acquaintance  with 
the  learned  of  all  ages.  Difference  of  language  opposes  no  insur¬ 
mountable  barrier,  for  with  the  help  of  books  he  can  easily  pass 
over  it.  The  wisdom  of  past  ages,  the  discoveries  of  modern  times, 
the  sciences  of  the  whole  world,  lie  open  to  him  who  can  read. 
Knowledge  can,  indeed,  be  communicated  otherwise  than  through 
books,  but  not  then  without  the  voice  of  the  living  instructor. 

But  the  art  of  reading  makes  the  learner  independent  of  his 
master,  and  gives  him  for  instructors  the  great  teachers  of  all  ages. 
And  these  great  teachers  are  ever  ready  at  his  call.  When  rest¬ 
ing  from  labor,  when  needing  recreation,  when  kept  from  his  usual 
occupations  by  indisposition,  these  masters  may  be  summoned  like 
spirits  from  another  sphere  to  instruct  or  to  entertain.  And  there 
is  no  profession,  business  or  occupation,  which  may  not  derive 
advantage  from  a  resort  to  the  recorded  experience  ot  the  past. 
By  it  even  the  laborer  or  the  artizan  may  improve  his  skill,  lighten 
his  toil,  and  increase  the  product  of  his  industry. 

Of  what  inestimable  value,  then,  is  the  ability  to  read.  Inesti¬ 
mable  to  the  individual  whose  interests  and  happiness  it  promotes, 
and  inestimable  to  the  State  as  an  aggregate  of  individuals,  the 
wealth  of  which  must  be  greatly  increased,  by  applying  to  the  in¬ 
dustry  of  a  whole  people,  the  knowledge  treasured  up  by  the  expe¬ 
rience  of  past  ages. 

Well  then  has  it  been  regarded  as  the  business  of  the  State,  to 
see  that  every  child  shall  be  taught  to  read.  It  is  the  business  of 
the  State,  because  it  is  the  interest  of  the  State,  not  only  because 
it  promotes  the  welfare  of  all  its  citizens,  but  because  it  provides 
for  the  increased  productiveness  of  labor,  by  taking  care  that  the 
muscular  power  of  the  multitudes  who  toil,  should  be  directed  by 
intelligence,  and  used  to  the  best  advantage. 


5 


Expensive,  indeed,  must  be  a  system  of  education,  it  it  costs  one 
halt  the  amount  which  is  annually  returned  to  the  State  by  the 
increased  productiveness  ot  labor,  which  the  education  of  the  masses 
insures. 

It  has  been  urged  as  an  argument  for  education  at  the  public 
expense,  that  the  security  of  property  is  so  much  enhanced  by  the 
moral  effect  of  universal  education,  as  to  be  a  full  equivalent  for 
the  tax  on  property  necessary  to  support  the  system.  There  is 
doubtless  force  in  this  argument,  but  there  is  another  which  ought 
to  have  still  greater  weight  with  those  who  sometimes  complain  of 
the  burden  of  sustaining  a  system  of  public  education ;  and  that  is 
the  increased  value  of  capital,  arising  from  the  increased  intelli¬ 
gence  of  the  mass  of  the  people.  Capital  and  labor  enter  into  the 
value  of  all  the  products  of  a  country.  If  the  laborer  be  directed 
by  intelligence,  the  joint  product  of  the  two  will  be  much  greater, 
and  both  the  laborer  and  the  capitalist  will  be  benefitted. 

The  skill ul  mechanic,  merchant,  or  farmer,  can  afford  to  pay 
higher  rates  of  interest  than  the  unskilful,  and  still  make  a  better 
profit  for  himself ;  for  the  profits  of  his  own  labor  are  greater.  He 
who  has  land  to  rent  will  find,  other  things  being  equal,  that  the 
rent  will  be  in  proportion  to  the  intelligence  of  the  people,  in  the 
district  where  his  land  lies.  If  he  would  invest  capital  in  manu¬ 
factures,  he  will  find  that  the  profit  depends  much  upon  the  knowl- 
elge  of  the  operatives  he  employs.  The  ignorant  operative  wastes 
the  material,  breaks  the  machinery,  and  spoils  the  product  of  his 
manufacture.  I  have  heard  an  experienced  manufacturer  say  that 
where  complicated  and  expensive  machinery  was  used,  he  could 
afford  to  pay  the  American  operative  double  the  wages  of  foreign¬ 
ers,  on  account  of  his  superior  intelligence  and  skill  in  the  man¬ 
agement  of  machinery. 

In  our  own  state,  we  have  still  a  better  argument  for  a  system 
of  universal  education.  We  have  a  broad  extent  of  fertile  land 
lying  waste  for  want  of  cultivators.  The  natural  increase  of  our 
population  would  not  be  sufficient  to  occupy  them,  for  a  century  to 
come.  They  must  still  lie  waste,  or  be  filled  up  with  emigrants 
from  the  east.  The  best  class  of  emigrants  will  find  a  judicious 
system  of  public  instruction  a  strong  inducement  for  coming  among 
us.  The  first  question  asked,  by  this  class,  when  thinking  of  re¬ 
moving  to  the  west,  is,  can  I  find  schools  for  the  education  ot  my 
children  ?  The  common  impression  is,  that  they  cannot.  This 


6 


impression  will,  in  time,  be  corrected,  by  giving  permanency  and 
efficiency  to  a  judicious  system  of  education.  The  land  holders 
among  us,  if  they  understand  their  own  interests,  will  not  com¬ 
plain  of  the  burden  of  taxation  necessary  to  support  it;  for  it  will 
bring  their  lands  into  market,  and  enhance  their  value.  For  the 
same  reason,  the  non-resident  land  holders  ought  willingly  to  bear 
their  part  of  the  expense.  It  might  save  them  from  heavy  losses. 
Everything  which  makes  the  State  a  desirable  residence,  will  be 
especially  beneficial  to  them. 

Nothing  could  be  more  unwise  and  unprofitable  than  to  cripple 
the  system  of  public  instruction  lately  put  in  operation  in  this 
young  State  by  an  untimely  parsimony.  It  has  in  it  elements  of 
development,  which  with  slight  modifications,  will  adapt  it  to  the 
condition  of  the  State,  when  it  shall  have  quadrupled  its  popula¬ 
tion.  If  it  have  defects,  they  had  better  be  borne  with,  till  a  fair 
trial  has  been  made.  Even  a  defective  system,  faithfully  adminis¬ 
tered,  is  to  be  preferred  to  those  continual  changes,  which  destroy 
public  confidence,  and  give  the  impression  abroad,  that  there  is  no 
element  of  permanancy,  in  the  educational  institutions  of  the 
west. 

The  remarks  which  I  have  made,  apply,  mostly  to  our  system 
of  common  schools ;  a  system  which  aims  to  teach  every  child 
to  read,  and  thus  puts  everyone  in  possession  of  the  key  ot  knowl¬ 
edge.  Heading  is  the  main  thing  to  be  taught  in  the  common 
schools,  but  much  more  is  necessary,  as  auxiliary  to  this.  Perhaps 
not  one  in  ten  thousand,  could  be  found,  who,  like  the  distin¬ 
guished  professor  of  oriental  languages  in  Oxford,  mentioned 
above,  could  proceed  from  the  mere  knowledge  of  reading,  unaid¬ 
ed  to  higher  attainments.  The  studies  of  the  common  school  are, 
properly,  reading,  writing,  arithmetic,  English  grammar,  geogra¬ 
phy,  and  such  knowledge  of  history  as  the  exercises  in  reading 
may  afford.  Higher  than  this  the  instructions  of  the  common 
school  should  not  go  ;  for  the  benefit  of  a  higher  education  than 
this,  cannot  be  common  to  all.  The  poor  man  cannot  afford  to 
have  the  time  of  his  children  employed  upon  higher  branches  ;  for 
he  needs  their  services  at  home,  and  while  the  teacher  is  engaged 
with  his  more  advanced  scholars,  the  children  of  the  poor  are  de¬ 
frauded  of  the  attention  which  belongs  to  them. 

A  strictly  elementary  education,  gives  every  one  the  power  to 
profit  by  the  means  of  knowledge  within  his  reach  ;  and  if  in  addi- 


tion  to  this,  he  wants  farther  discipline,  and  further  assistance  from 
his  instructors,  it  should  be  at  his  own  cost.  And  it  should  be  at 
his  own  cost,  because  it  is  for  his  own  individual  benefit.  It  forms 
a  part  of  his  capital  in  business.  It  gives  him  social  and  intellect¬ 
ual  superiority;  and  it  is  unjust,  that  the  income  of  the  school  fund, 
and  the  money  of  the  tax  payer,  should  be  expended  for  the  benefit 
of  those  who  for  the  most  part,  can  well  afford  to  pay  their  own  ex¬ 
penses. 

But  has  the  State  then  no  interest  in  institutions  of  learning, 
higher  than  the  common  schools  ?  This  by  no  means  follows 
from  what  I  have  said.  It  should  not  it  is  true  expend  its 
funds,  and  tax  the  property  of  its  citizens,  in  sustaining  high 
schools  and  colleges,  simply  for  the  purpose  of  benefiting  those 
who  resort  to  these  schools  for  education  ;  for  this  would  be  expend- 
ing  the  public  funds,  tor  the  benefit  of  a  few  ;  a  course  of  action 
utterly  at  variance  with  the  spirit  of  our  institutions. 

But  the  State  has  an  interest  in  higher  institutions  of  learning  ; 
and  in  proportion  to  this  interest,  should  the  public  funds  be  freely 
granted.  Let  us  inquire  what  is  the  amount  of  that  interest  ?  We 
may  divide  educational  institutions  into  three  classes  ;  the  elemen¬ 
tary,  the  intermediate,  and  the  highest.  The  first  is  the  common 
school,  the  second  high  schools  and  colleges,  and  the  third,  the 
University.  In  the  first,  and  last,  of  these,  the  State  has  the  most 
direct  interest.  In  the  intermediate,  it  is  interested  only  as  far  as 
they  contribute  to  the  perfection  of  the  other  two.  The  common 
school  prepares  all  the  citizens  for  the  reception  of  knowledge. 
The  University  originates  the  knowledge  to  be  received.  Without 
the  first,  there  could  be  no  general  diffusion  of  knowledge  ;  with¬ 
out  the  second,  there  would  be  no  advance  in  knowledge.  What 
would  avail  the  art  of  reading,  if  there  were  nothing  to  which  it 
could  be  applied  ?  If  there  were  no  advances  in  knowledge,  so¬ 
ciety  would  remain  stationary,  and  our  civilization  would  become 
like  that  of  the  Chinese,  a  petrification  of  the  civilization  of  past 
ages.  The  highest  educational  institutions  have  ever  taken  the 
lead  in  the  advancement  of  learning.  The  universities  of  Europe, 
established  in  the  dark  ages,  were  the  pioneers  of  modern  European 
civilization.  The  universities  and  great  schools  of  modern  Europe 
and  America,  have  been  the  originators  of  those  vast  improve¬ 
ments  iu  physical  science,  which  have  distinguished  the  nineteenth 
century  above  all  others.  The  great  inventions  of  modern  times, 


8 


which  have  added  so  much  to  the  physical  comfort  of  the  human 
race,  which  have  subdued  the  elements  of  nature  to  our  control, 
and  annihilated  time  and  space,  had  their  origin,  either  directly  or 
indirectly,  in  the  higher  seminaries  of  learning.  In  them  were  in¬ 
vestigated  those  principles  of  science,  which  when  applied  to  prac¬ 
tical  purposes,  have  been  productive  of  such  happy  effects  on  the 
material  condition  of  mankind.  They  have  scattered  throughout 
the  civilized  world  multitudes  of  learned  men,  and  careful  observ¬ 
ers,  eager  to  notice  every  phenomenon  which  might  reveal  the 
mysteries  of  nature,  and  teach  mankind  to  imitate  and  control 
her  secret  operations. 

There  is  a  common  belief  that  practical  men,  with  little  learn¬ 
ing  or  cultivation,  have  been  the  great  discoverers  and  inventors  ; 
and  that  to  them  alone  we  owe,  all  the  improvements  in  the  prac 
tical  arts.  But  this  is  a  great  error.  The  learned  must  investi¬ 
gate  the  principles  of  science,  before  the  ingenious  artizan  can  apply 
them  to  the  purpose  of  life. 

Watt,  and  Whitney,  and  Arkwright,  did  nothing  more  than 
apply  principles,  which  had  been  investigated  long  before  by 
learned  men,  either  belonging  to  the  Universities,  or  trained  in 
them  ;  and  without  these  principles,  they  never  could  have  pro¬ 
ceeded  one  step  in  their  inventions.  Watt  could  never  have  per¬ 
fected  the  steam  engine,  had  not  Dr.  Black,  of  the  University  of 
Glasgow,  first  investigated  the  laws  of  steam.  George  Steers  could 
never  have  modeled  the  beautiful  curves  of  his  swift  sailing  ships, 
had  not  mathematicians  investigated  the  properties  of  curves,  and 
philosophers  discovered  the  laws  of  Hydrostatics. 

Allow  me  to  give  an  illustration  from  history,  to  show  how  the 
labors  of  the  learned,  are  combined  with  skill  of  the  practical  ar¬ 
tist,  for  the  benefit  of  mankind. 

Sixty  years  ago,  Galvani,  a  learned  physician,  educated  in  one 
of  the  Universities  of  Europe,  and  a  curious  observer  of  nature, 
noticed  that  the  muscles  of  the  legs  of  a  frog,  which  his  cook  was 
preparing  to  dress  for  dinner,  suddenly  contracted,  when  touched 
by  two  different  metals  in  contact  with  each  other.  Alter  repeat¬ 
ing  the  experiment,  which  at  first  was  the  result  of  mere  accident, 
he  came  to  the  conclusion,  that  some  power  was  developed  by  the 
contact  of  two  metals,  which  acted  upon  the  nerves  of  the  dead 
animal,  and  caused  the  contraction  of  the  muscles.  This  power 
he  called  animal  electricity  ;  and  after  a  series  of  experiments 


9 


with  many  different  metals,  he  gave  the  results  to  the  world.  Im¬ 
mediately  the  subject  was  taken  up,  and  investigated  in  the  Uni¬ 
versities  of  Europe,  and  also  in  our  own  country.  Twenty  years 
passed  away,  during  which  time,  hundreds  of  experimentors 
strove  to  improve  and  perfect  the  science  of  Galvanism,  as  it  was 
called  from  the  discoverer.  By  these  experiments  it  was  shown, 
that  the  phenomena  produced  by  the  contact  of  two  metals,  were 
identical  with  those  of  electricity.  Galvanic  batteries  were  con¬ 
structed  which  produced  wonderful  effects.  Intense  light  was 
produced,  metals  were  burned,  and  new  chemical  decompositions 
effected  by  the  Galvanic  current,  but  nothing  eminently  practical 
had  been  accomplished. 

But  twenty  years  after  the  discovery  thus  accidentally  made  by 
Galvani,  a  similar  accident  revealed  another  property  of  the  Gal¬ 
vanic  current.  Professor  Oersted,  of  Copenhagen,  was  making 
experiments  with  a  small  galvanic  battery,  placed  on  a  table  in 
his  laboratory.  A  magnetic  needle  balanced  on  a  pivot,  happened  to 
be  standing  near  the  wire  used  to  connect  the  poles  of  the  battery. 
When  the  connection  was  made, he  observed  that  the  needle  was  de¬ 
flected  from  the  magnetic  meridian,  and  took  a  position  at  right 
angles  to  the  connecting  wire.  This  circumstance,  which  might 
have  been  deemed  a  matter  of  little  importance  by  many,  revealed 
to  the  learned  professor,  trained  to  question  nature,  a  new  and 
important  law.  After  a  few  experiments,  he  made  public  his  dis¬ 
covery,  and  the  learned  of  all  countries,  set  themselves  to  woik, 
upon  this  newly  discovered  law  of  nature.  Hundreds  of  minds 
trained  to  scientific  pursuits,  bent  their  attention  to  this  one  sub¬ 
ject,  and  little  by  little  the  laws  ot  electro-magnetism  were  dis¬ 
covered,  and  classified  into  a  science.  Faraday  in  England,  and 
Henry  in  our  own  country,  were  the  most  eminent  discoverers  in 
the  new  science.  Henry  made  magnets  which  sustained  more 
than  a  ton,  and  proved  that  the  magnetic  force  induced  by  a  cur¬ 
rent  from  a  galvanic  battery,  was  not  sensibly  diminshed  by  the 
length  of  the  wire  through  which  it  passed. 

The  laws  of  electro-magnetism,  thus  happily  developed  by  the 
learned,  gave  opportunity  for  the  exertion  of  mechanical  genius, 
in  applying  them  to  practical  purposes.  The  Galvanic  current 
was  found  to  be  a  powerful  agent  in  the  laboratory  of  the  chemist. 
Then  followed  the  art  ot  Electro-plating,  by  which,  without  loss 

of  material,  the  precious  metals  are  spread  with  perfect  evenness 
2 


10 


over  the  surface  of  any  metal  whatever ;  preserving  the  minutest 
figures  and  lines  engraved  on  the  original.  A  beautiful  and  use¬ 
ful  art,  which  has  both  perfected  and  cheapened  the  plated  uten¬ 
sils  used  in  our  houses,  and  reduced  the  price  within  the  means  of 
almost  every  family.  The  same  principle  was  next  applied  by  a 
lucky  thought  of  some  practical  mind,  to  the  art  of  printing,  and 
wood  engraving,  so  as  to  make  exact  copies  of  types  and  engra¬ 
vings  in  copper,  and  thus  render  the  plates  from  which  books  are 
printed,  almost  indestructible  by  use. 

In  another  branch  of  the  science,  Prof.  Morse,  by  a  happy  me¬ 
chanical  contrivance,  applied  the  law  discovered  by  Henry,  and 
constructed  the  Magnetic  Telegraph ;  that  wonder  of  the  age, 
which  brings  near  distant  countries,  and  sends  the  thoughts  of 
men  coursing  around  the  world,  with  a  speed  equalled  only  by  a 
ray  of  light  from  the  sun.  And  we  have  no  reason  to  think  that 
we  have  yet  reached  the  limit  of  the  application  of  this  newly 
discovered  power  in  nature,  and  it  is  not  extravagant  to  say  that 
it  may  yet  light  our  cities,  warm  our  dwellings,  drive  our  ma¬ 
chinery,  and  drag,  with  fabulous  speed,  the  heavily  laden  car  upon 
our  Railroads.  And  all  this  is  the  result  of  a  law  of  nature,  indi¬ 
cated  to  a  philosopher  by  the  leaping  of  the  leg  of  a  dead  frog,  a 
circumstance  which  an  ignorant  man  would  have  regarded  with 
stupid  astonishment;  or,  if  superstitious,  have  attributed  to  the 
agency  of  the  Devil.  The  benefits,  and  I  mean  merely  the  pecu¬ 
niary  benefits,  secured  to  mankind  by  the  development  and  appli¬ 
cation  of  this  one  law  of  nature,  would  overbalance  the  cost  of 
founding  and  maintaining  all  the  Universities  in  Christendom, 
since  the  period  of  the  dark  ages  until  now. 

I  have  given  you  an  illustration,  from  the  discovery  and  appli¬ 
cation  of  the  principles  of  a  single  science.  I  need  not  for  my 
present  purpose,  mention  particularly  any  other.  I  would  only 
remark,  that  in  most  cases,  a  long  series  of  investigations  and  ex¬ 
periments  seem  to  be  required  in  order  to  bring  a  new  discovery 
to  the  point  necessary  for  practical  application. 

That  beautiful  art,  by  which  the  sunlight  is  made  the  limner  in 
depicting  natural  objects  and  even  the  lineaments  of  the  human 
countenance,  on  various  substances,  was  by  no  means  the  conse¬ 
quence  of  a  single  happy  thought  of  the  individual,  whose  name 
has  been  given  to  the  process.  Daguerre  worked  with  materials 
made  ready  to  his  hand,  by  experimentalists  who  had  gone  before 


11 


him.  The  chemical  effect  of  light  in  changing  colors,  was  noticed 
as  early  as  1802,  and  attempts  were  made  to  apply  the  principle. 
Diepce,  in  France,  labored  more  than  twenty  years  for  this  pur¬ 
pose,  and  died  just  after  he  had  made  a  discovery  which  had 
nearly  perfected  his  pictures.  Daguerre,  more  fortunate,  by  a  few 
slight  additions  to  the  discoveries  of  his  predecessor,  brought  the 
art  to  a  degree  of  perfection  which  rendered  it  practical.  But 
neither  of  these  men  were  solitary  workers  in  their  respective  de¬ 
partments  of  knowledge.  Discoveries  simultaneously  made  in 
the  laboratories  of  Europe,  were  applied  by  them,  in  their  inves¬ 
tigations,  and  without  these  discoveries  their  success  would  have 
been  impossible.  And  their  art  has,  ever  since  its  discovery, 
been  progressive,  and  is  still  advancing  from  the  continued  appli¬ 
cation  of  new  principles,  furnished  to  the  artists  by  the  discove¬ 
ries  of  the  learned.  And  let  no  one  suppose  that  the  discoveries 
of  the  nineteenth  century  have  exhausted  the  domains  of  nature, 
leaving  nothing  farther  to  be  explored.  We  have  only  begun  to 
penetrate  into  her  secret  mysteries  ;  and  new  wonders  meet  us  on 
every  side  as  we  advance  ;  and  the  farther  we  advance,  the  wider 
appears  the  region  to  be  explored.  Of  that  mysterious  substance, 
the  effects  of  which  science  has  lately  opened  our  eyes  to  behold 
in  the  lightning,  in  the  telegraph,  and  in  the  magnetic  engine, 
and  a  hundred  other  forms,  we  as  yet  know  comparatively  little. 
There  are  indications  ot  its  agency  in  light  and  heat,  and  in  veg¬ 
etable  and  animal  life ;  and  who  can  tell  what  benefits  may  not 
accrue  to  mankind,  from  a  further  investigation  of  its  properties 
and  its  laws  ? 

All  the  sciences  seem  to  be  iinked  together  by  innumerable  con¬ 
nections.  An  advance  in  one,  paves  the  way  for  improvements 
in  all  subjects  which  a  century  ago  it  was  deemed  presumption  to 
approach,  are  now  open  for  investigation  and  experiment.  The  laws 
of  vegetable  life,  once  deemed  so  mysterious,  are  beginning  to  be 
discovered,  and  may  yet  be  so  well  known  that  by  their  application 
to  agriculture,  as  to  increase  four-fold  the  products  of  the  earth. 
And  may  we  not  hope,  also,  that  the  light  which  other  sciences 
are  beginning  to  throw  upon  the  mysteries  of  our  own  physical 
frame,  we  may  learn,  if  not  to  lengthen  out  the  span  of  mortal  life, 
yet  to  remove  or  relieve  much  of  the  pain  and  suffering  which  at¬ 
tend  it? 

But  not  only  do  all  the  sciences  afford  mutual  aid  in  the  devel- 


12 


opement  of  each  other,  but  every  region  has  its  own  peculiar  ad¬ 
vantages,  for  the  cultivation  of  particular  branches  of  science, 
climate,  soil,  varieties  of  vegetable  and  different  conditions  of  ani¬ 
mal  life,  give  each  region  peculiar  facilities  for  investigating  the 
laws  of  nature.  These  laws  are  more  easily  discovered  by  observ¬ 
ing  their  results,  under  different  aspects  and  relations,  and  the 
application  of  them  to  practical  purposes,  can  be  successful  only 
when  the  conditions  under  which  they  operate,  in  different  re¬ 
gions,  are  taken  into  the  account. 

Hence,  every  part  of  our  country  needs  its  well  trained  minds, 
laboring  for  the  advance  of  knowledge,  adding  their  tribute  to  the 
common  stock,  and  enriching  at  the  same  time  their  own  section, 
by  adopting  the  science  of  the  whole  world  to  its  own  peculiar 
condition.  Our  own  region,  with  its  wide  extended  plains,  its 
fertile  soil,  enriched  with  the  vegetable  deposits  of  centuries,  with 
its  mineral  riches,  its  climate,  modified  by  the  distant  but  lofty 
chain  of  mountains  on  the  west,  with  its  varieties  of  vegetable  and 
animal  life,  opens  a  wide  field  for  scientific  investigation,  and  de¬ 
mands  a  band  of  well  trained  scholars,  educated  upon  its  soil  and 
familiar  with  its  peculiarities  to  develope  its  resources. 

But,  besides  the  advances  of  science  resulting  from  a  careful  ob¬ 
servation  of  nature,  there  is  knowledge  to  be  gained  from  the  ex¬ 
perience  of  the  past.  There  are  mines  of  intellectual  wealth  in 
the  volumes  which  record  the  wisdom  of  those  who  have  gone 
before  us.  Those  grave  and  important  questions  which  relate  to 
law,  policy  and  government  can  be  settled  only  by  a  recourse  to 
the  records  of  the  past.  “History  is  philosophy  teaching  by  ex¬ 
ample,”  and  the  only  true  philosophy  of  man  is  deduced  from  the 
records  of  history.  In  this  department  of  knowledge  the  student 
cannot  make  his  own  experiment.  The  experiments  have  been 
made  for  him,  and  it  is  for  him  to  search  and  compare  the  records 
of  their  results.  What  may  be  the  best  form  of  government, 
what  the  wisest  system  of  laws,  and  the  most  efficient  method  of 
executing  them,  are  still  problems  for  solution.  They  are  pro¬ 
blems  affecting  our  dearest  interests,  and  yet  the  wisest  and  best 
of  men  have  given  attention  to  them  generation  after  generation, 
without  arriving  at  anything  more  than  approximate  results. — 
There  has  been  progress,  indeed,  but  there  is  room  for  further 
advancement.  Grotius,  and  Bacon,  and  Bentham,  —  Hamilton, 
Madison,  and  Webster,  and  many  others  of  like  character,  have 


13 


begun  the  work  and  bequeathed  it  to  us.  We  have  a  rich  inheri¬ 
tance  of  knowledge  from  those  who  have  gone  before  us,  and  we 
have  only  to  cultivate  it  with  industry  and  zeal  in  order  to  add  to 
it  still  more  valuable  acquisitions. 

But  is  is  mostly  on  our  universities  that  we  must  depend  for 
the  advancement  of  knowledge ;  for,  in  them  only,  as  a  general 
rule,  can  be  found  the  means  and  appliances  for  investigations. 
We  cannot  depend  upon  individual  enterprise,  for  few  have  means 
adequate  to  procure  the  apparatus,  purchase  the  books,  and  make 
the  collections  necessary  for  extensive  investigations  in  science. 
And  besides,  those  who  are  born  rich,  seldom  have  the  disposi¬ 
tion  ;  and  those  who  have  accumulated  wealth  by  their  own  exer¬ 
tions,  seldom  have  either  the  time  or  the  taste  for  scientific  pur¬ 
suits.  Money  invested  in  these  pursuits,  would  evidently  be  a 
bad  speculation. 

The  nobility  and  the  princes  of  Europe,  have  sometimes  been 
munificent  patrons  of  science ;  but  we  hope  the  time  is  far  distant 
when  such  inequality  of  condition  shall  exist  among  us,  and  such 
large  estates  be  accumulated,  as  to  allow  of  the  same  patronage 
here.  With  us,  the  people  are  the  rulers,  and  they  should  take 
the  place  of  the  kings  of  the  old  world,  in  promoting  the  advance 
of  knowledge.  It  belongs  to  the  people,  or  to  the  government  of 
the  State,  which  is  the  same  thing,  to  provide  for  the  advance¬ 
ment  of  knowledge  by  providing  means  for  the  support  of  a  State 
university. 

And  here  the  question  arises,  what  is  a  university,  or  rather, 
what  ought  it  to  be?  It  is  not  only  an  institution  where  knowl¬ 
edge  is  disseminated,  but  where  it  is  also  originated.  It  is  a  place 
both  for  instruction  and  investigation  ;  and  for  its  complete  effi¬ 
ciency  would  require,  first,  substantial  buildings,  not  gaudy  and 
expensive  buildings,  but  buildings  suited  to  the  purpose ;  ample 
enough  to  contain  all  the  appliances  of  learning,  and  furnish  ac¬ 
commodations  (or  those  who  resort  to  it  for  instruction.  Second, 
a  library,  selected  with  reference  to  its  uses,  rather  than  to  the 
rarity  or  beauty  of  the  books  which  it  contains ;  a  library  which 
may  help  the  student  to  the  knowledge  of  all  that  has  been  done 
by  the  generations  before  him  ;  one  in  which  the  student  of  every 
science,  and  every  profession,  may  find  whatever  aid  the  wisdom 
and  experience  of  past  ages  may  furnish.  Thirdly,  a  chemical  and 
philosophical  apparatus  sufficient  to  illustrate  all  the  main  princi- 


14 


pies  of  science,  and  furnish  the  means  for  experimental  investi¬ 
gations;  and  a  cabinet  of  natural  history,  containing  specimens  of 
all  the  principal  productions  of  nature,  whether  mineral,  vegeta¬ 
ble,  or  animal,  and  properly  arranged  for  the  inspection  of  the 
student. 

To  these  material  riches  ot  the  University  should  be  added,  a 
corps  of  living  instructors,  learned  in  their  several  departments  of 
instruction  ;  and  not  only  enthusiastic  in  their  several  pursuits,  but 
capable  of  inspiring  enthusiasm  in  their  pupils.  A  prolessor  in  a 
University  should  be  more  than  the  mere  teacher,  the  drill  master 
of  the  recitation  room.  He  should  be  an  earnest  worker  for  the 
advancement  of  human  knowledge,  and  be  ambitious  to  add  his 
own  contribution,  to  the  discoveries  of  the  age.  Such  in  brief 
would  be  a  complete  University,  and  such  an  institution  ol  learning 
when  in  successful  operation,  would  supply  another  important  aux¬ 
iliary  in  the  cause  of  human  progress  ;  a  body  of  learned  men 
thoroughly  educated  and  prepared  to  understand  and  appreciate 
the  discoveries  ot  the  votaries  of  science.  Such  a  body  of  scholars 
is  indispensible  to  the  progress  of  knowdedge. 

Many  valuable  discoveries,  made  in  the  dark  ages  of  the  world, 
were  lost  to  mankind,  for  the  want  of  those  who  could  understand 
and  appreciate  them.  Men  have  frequently  arisen  among  uncul¬ 
tivated  nations,  and  given  utterance  to  thoughts  so  much  in  ad¬ 
vance  ot  their  age,  that  they  were  regarded  as  visionaries  and  mad¬ 
men.  The  telescope,  and  many  other  useful  optical  instruments, 
were  probably  invented  by  Roger  Bacon,  in  the  13th  century,  but 
he  was  accounted  a  wizard  for  his  pains,  and  was  fortunate  in  es¬ 
caping  being  burnt  at  the  stake.  And  how  could  the  votaries  of 
science  be  rewarded,  and  encouraged,  were  they  not  well  educa¬ 
ted  men,  who  could  understand  and  duly  value  their  labors.  Men 
who  have  most  benefitted  the  world  by  their  scientific  labors,  have 
cared  little  for  pecuniary  rewards  ;  and  they  could  not  command 
it  if  they  desired  it.  The  products  of  the  labor  of  the  brain  are 
immaterial.  They  cannot  be  made  merchandize  of,  and  sold  and 
bought,  for  the  benefit  of  the  producer.  The  thoughts  which  have 
cost  years  of  painful  toil  to  arrange  and  perfect,  when  once  pub¬ 
lished,  are  equally  the  property  of  all.  There  can  be  no  process 
by  which  the  multitudes  who  are  benefitted  by  them,  can  be  com¬ 
pelled  to  give  an  equivalent  in  return.  The  discoverer  of  an  impor¬ 
tant  principle  may  starve,  while  thousands  grow  rich  on  the  fruits 


15 


of  his  labors.  The  inventor,  who  applies  the  law,  which  the  phi¬ 
losopher  has  discovered,  may  have  the  right  to  his  invention  se¬ 
cured  to  him,  by  letters  patent  from  the  government,  and  realize 
a  fortune  by  the  means  ;  while  he,  without  whose  labors  the  inven¬ 
tion  could  never  have  been  made,  goes  unrewarded.  Professor 
Henry  after  years  of  patient  research  discovered  the  laws  of  Elec¬ 
tro  Magnetism;  and  never  received  sufficient  tor  his  pains  to 
pay  one  tenth  part  of  the  cost  of  his  experiments.  Mr.  Morse, 
with  far  less  labor  and  expense,  contrives  an  ingenious  piece  of 
clock  work,  which  beautifully  applies  the  law  to  practical  purpo¬ 
ses,  in  the  magnetic  telegraph,  and  makes  a  fortune  by  the  inven¬ 
tion.  The  latter  receives  his  reward  in  money — the  tormer  must 
be  content  to  take  his  in  reputation  ;  and  for  want  of  sufficient  in¬ 
formation  in  the  public,  must  even  share  that  with  the  inventor ; 
for  how  few  know,  or  care  to  know,  that  without  the  discoveries 
of  Henry,  Morse  never  would  have  made  his  invention.  Gratuities 
and  pensions  from  Government  are  in  many  countries,  the  rewards 
of  discoverers  ;  they  have  never  been  so  in  this;  and  on  account  of 
the  abuses  to  which  they  are  subject,  perhaps  ought  not  to  be.  Nor 
does  the  true  worshipper  at  the  shrine  of  knowledge,  demand  or 
desire  them.  He  is  amply  paid,  if  he  knows  that  his  labors  are 
appreciated ;  and  he  is  stimulated  to  new  exertions,  by  the  assur¬ 
ance,  that  he  is  acting  in  the  presence  of  competent  judges,  who 
know  the  value  of  his  labor,  and  will  award  the  due  meed  of  praise. 
The  mean  man  labors  for  money  ;  the  high  minded  for  glory  ;  but 
the  scholar’s  glory,  can  only  arise  from  the  approval  of  intelligent 
and  cultivated  minds. 

And  I  see  not  how  this  higher  education,  so  important  to  the 
interest  of  the  State,  can  be  better  encouraged  and  secured,  than 
by  the  establishment  of  a  State  University.  As  I  have  intimated 
before,  money  invested  by  an  individual  in  scientific  pursuits, 
would  not  be  profitably  invested.  Still  less  profitably  could  it  be 
invested  in  supporting  an  institution  of  learning,  of  the  first  class. 
All  institutions  of  this  kind,  are  supported  either  by  funds  supplied 
by  government,  or  contributed  by  individuals  zealous  in  the  cause 
of  education,  without  expectation  of  any  return.  Few  could  incur 
the  expense  of  a  complete  education,  if  the  fees  for  instruction  were 
high  enough  to  pay  full  salaries  to  the  professors,  and  the  interest 
on  the  investment  in  buildings  and  other  fixtures. 

In  Harvard  University  the  tuition  would  exceed  $225  per  annum; 


16 


in  Yale  College,  $200 ;  in  the  University  of  Virginia,  $150 ;  in 
the  University  of  Michigan,  $100.  1  have  named  these  Universi¬ 

ties  because  they  have  large  numbers  of  students,  and  consequently 
the  cost  for  each  student  is  less  in  proportion  to  the  outlay  in  cap¬ 
ital.  In  the  two  last  named,  the  amount  invested  in  fixtures  is 
much  less  than  in  the  others,  and  the  cost  of  tuition  is  less.  In 
smaller  institutions,  where  there  has  been  a  great  outlay  in  capital, 
and  a  limited  number  of  students,  the  cost  is  from  $250  to  $300 
per  annum,  for  each  student. 

These  figures,  while  they  show  that  the  higher  educational  in¬ 
stitutions  cannot  be  sustained  by  the  fees  paid  by  the  students, 
show  also  the  great  importance  of  concentrating  in  a  single  one, 
the  whole  patronage  of  a  State.  The  lecture-rooms,  libraries,  ap¬ 
paratus,  and  professors  needed  for  fifty  students,  would  suffice  for 
one  hundred  and  fifty.  Increase  the  number  to  three  hundred, 
and  but  a  moderate  additional  expense  would  be  incurred,  and 
that  almost  entirely  for  the  increase  of  the  number  of  instructors. 
In  the  older  States,  no  regular  system  of  public  instruction  was 
adopted,  and  colleges  were  injudiciously  multiplied.  They  were 
established  mostly  by  the  different  religious  denominations, 
and  occasionally  aided  from  the  public  funds.  The  result  has 
been  a  great  waste  of  money ;  while  in  some  of  those  States,  rich 
and  populous  as  they  are,  no  first  class  institution  exists.  In  the 
State  of  New  York  there  are  no  less  than  ten  institutions,  some 
called  colleges,  and  some  universities,  all  claiming  to  belong  to 
the  highest  class.  The  outlay  necessary  for  buildings,  libraries, 
apparatus,  cabinets,  &e.,  to  make  these  institutions  what  they 
claim  to  be,  would  be  at  least  a  million  and  a  half  of  dollars.  One 
half  of  this  wrould  be  a  magnificent  endowment  for  a  State  univer¬ 
sity,  which  would  be  worth  more  to  the  cause  of  education  than 
all  of  them  put  together.  Instead  of  ten  small  libraries,  ten  im¬ 
perfect  sets  of  apparatus  for  the  illustration  of  the  sciences,  and 
ten  diminutive  cabinets  of  natural  history,  there  might  have  been 
one  of  each,  worthy  of  the  name,  to  which  the  scholar  might  re¬ 
sort  for  whatever  information  he  could  desire.  And  one  first-class 
university  would  be  sufficient  tor  the  whole  State  of  New  York. 
We  will  suppose  these  ten  colleges  and  universities,  as  some  of 
them  are  called,  have  an  average  of  two  hundred  students  each, — 
which  is  rather  above  than  below  the  actual  number, — making  two 
thousand  in  all ;  this  would  not  exceed  the  number  in  some  of 


17 


the  European  universities.  But  of  these  two  thousand  students,  a 
small  portion  only  are  prepared  to  be  benefited  by  the  instruction 
which  should  be  given  in  a  university.  In  the  first  two  years  of 
the  course  of  study,  prescribed  m  these  colleges,  nothing  is  taught 
which  requires  the  aid  either  of  an  extensive  apparatus  or  a  large 
library.  In  the  greater  part  of  them,  chemistry,  natural  philoso¬ 
phy,  and  natural  history,  are  reserved  for  the  last  year.  The  low¬ 
er  classes  are  usually  the  largest,  and  we  may  safely  assume  that 
not  more  than  one-fourth  part  of  the  students  of  these  institutions 
are  profited  by  the  large  out  lay  made  in  apparatus,  libraries,  <fec. 
Five  hundred  students  would  not  be  too  large  a  number  for  a  sin¬ 
gle  university,  and  we  have  a  right  to  infer  that  these  would  en¬ 
joy  superior  advantages,  and  receive  better  instruction  in  a  well 
arranged  university,  the  cost  of  wdiich  would  not  equal  a  third 
part  of  what  is  laid  out  in  these  ten  institutions.  As  regards  the 
remaining  three-fourths,  they  need  not  such  costly  arrangements. 
Languages  and  pure  mathematics  require  few  books,  and  no  cost¬ 
ly  apparatus,  and  can  as  well  be  taught  in  schools,  where  those 
disposed  to  be  idle  can  study  under  the  eye  of  the  teacher. 

The  great  schools  of  Eaton,  Rugby,  and  Harrow,  in  England, 
and  the  Gymnasia  in  Germany,  are  fully  equal  to  our  colleges, 
in  teaching  languages  and  pure  mathematics ;  but  they  have  ex¬ 
pended  but  little  in  such  fixtures,  as  more  properly  belong  to  the 
universities.  Such  schools  as  these,  should  occupy  the  post  be¬ 
tween  the  common  schools  and  the  university.  They  need  not 
be  expensive.  They  are  properly  schools  for  the  discipline  of  the 
faculties,  rather  than  for  the  acquisition  of  great  stores  of  knowl¬ 
edge.  Their  teachers  should  be  men  of  learning  in  their  several 
departments;  but  great  learning  would  be  less  essential  than  the 
tact  to  call  out  and  direct  the  mental  powers  of  their  pupils. 

There  are  properly  three  stages  in  a  complete  education.  They 
may  be  called  that  of  reception,  or  cultivation,  and  of  acquisition. 
The  first  is  particularly  characterised  by  the  reception  of  knowl¬ 
edge.  It  begins  in  early  childhood,  when  the  parent  communi¬ 
cates  to  the  trusting  child,  those  rudiments  of  knowledge,  which 
enable  it  to  guard  itself  from  danger,  and  enjoy  its  little  pleasures. 
It  is  continued  through  the  early  school  days;  while  the  boy 
looks  upon  his  teacher  as  a  prodigy  of  learning,  and  receives  as 
unquestioned  truth,  whatever  he  communicates.  When  rules  are 
3 


18 


committed  to  memory,  and  applied  without  a  knowledge  of  the 
principles  on  which  they  are  based ;  when  books  are  regarded  as 
infallible,  and  printed  matter  as  undoubted  truth.  This  stage  of 
education  belongs  to,  or  rather  ends  with  the  common  school. 

The  second  stage  of  education,  which  I  have  called  the  stage  of 
cultivation,  begins  with  the  development  of  the  reasoning  pow¬ 
ers  ;  and  is  mostly  employed  in  the  discipline  of  the  faculties  of 
the  mind,  preparatory  to  the  acquisitions  of  riper  years.  It  is 
the  stage  when  the  memory,  the  judgment,  and  the  imagination 
should  be  cultivated,  and  disciplined  to  act  in  harmony;  when 
order  and  method  should  be  acquired,  and  habits  of  application 
formed ;  when  moral  principles  should  be  inculcated,  and  religious 
impressions  confirmed,  and  self-control  acquired;  when,  in  short, 
the  whole  character,  intellectual,  moral  and  religious,  is  in  a  state 
of  formation. 

This  is  doubtless  the  most  important  stage  of  education,  and 
may  generally  be  completed,  or  perhaps  I  ought  to  say,  is  com¬ 
pleted,  at  the  age  of  eighteen  or  nineteen  years.  To  this  impor¬ 
tant  stage  belong  the  high  school,  academy,  or  college;  their  busi¬ 
ness  is  the  same,  by  whatever  name  they  may  be  called.  The 
object  is  discipline,  not  knowledge;  but  whatever  knowledge  may 
be  acquired  along  with  the  discipline,  is  so  much  gain  to  the 
scholar.  Languages,  mathematics,  logic,  and  the  elements  of  rhe¬ 
toric,  answer  well  the  purposes  of  mental  discipline ;  while  they 
lay  the  foundation  of  more  extensive  acquisitions  after  this  stage 
of  education  is  completed. 

The  great  error  is  to  mistake  the  object  of  this  period,  and  en¬ 
deavor  to  make  its  principal  object  the  acquisition  of  knowledge. 
On  account  of  this  error,  your  will  often  find  this  period  crowded 
with  studies,  in  such  number  and  variety,  that  no  human  mind, 
however  active,  can  acquire  more  than  the  most  superficial  knowl¬ 
edge  of  each ;  so  superficial  as  to  be  utterly  worthless  for  practical 
purposes.  And  while  the  time  of  the  student  is  wasted,  in  re¬ 
spect  to  useful  knowledge,  the  hours  which  should  have  been 
given  to  discipline,  are  worse  than  wasted.  There  has  been  dis¬ 
cipline,  indeed,  for  since  it  is  the  period  of  life  during  which  the 
mental  character  is  formed,  discipline  cannot  be  avoided ;  but  it 
is  the  discipline  not  of  order,  but  ot  confusion ;  not  of  method,  but 
of  dissipation.  Many'books  are  a  nuisance  in  this  stage  of  edu- 


19 


cation.  The  great  readers  in  the  lower  classes  of  our  colleges,  are 
invariably  the  poor  scholars,  and  will  be  found  the  worse  educated 
at  the  close  ot  their  course. 

It  you  would  improve  the  mental  powers,  they  must  be  put  in 
energetic  action,  and  conti ned  at  the  time  to  a  single  subject ;  tor 
thus  only  can  habits  ot  close  attention  and  thorough  investigation 
be  formed.  Whatever,  therefore,  has  a  tendency  to  turn  the  at¬ 
tention  from  the  main  pursuit,  to  subjects  unsuited  for  mental  dis¬ 
cipline,  is  injurious.  The  schools  designed  for  this  period  of  culti¬ 
vation,  have  no  need  of  large  libraries,  expensive  apparatrfs,  and 
cabinets  of  natural  history ;  and  the  money  laid  out  for  these  is 
worse  than  wasted.  The  most  successful  institutions  of  this  kind 
with  which  I  am  acquainted,  have  them  not. 

The  third  stage  of  education,  is  that  of  acquisition.  When  the 
powers  of  the  mind  have  been  duly  developed,  and  trained  to  ac¬ 
tion,  the  acquisition  of  knowledge  becomes  easy.  This  is  seldom 
the  case  till  the  pupil  has  reached  the  age  of  eighteen  or  twenty 
years.  He  then  no  longer  needs  the  drill  of  the  recitation  room, 
or  the  careful  oversight  of  a  master.  If  he  cannot  then  study 
without  constraint,  or  acquire  knowledge  without  the  constant 
inculcation  and  repetition  of  an  instructor,  his  case  is  hopeless, 
and  he  should  be  advised  to  abandon  his  purpose,  and  betake  him¬ 
self  to  some  pursuit  in  which  little  attainment  is  required.  But 
if  he  have  received  the  proper  discipline,  he  is  prepared  to  profit 
by  all  those  appliances  of  learning,  which  should  properly  belong 
to  the  University.  He  now  ceases  to  study  text  books,  and  stud¬ 
ies  subjects.  The  lectures  of  the  Professor,  or  some  judicious 
compend  of  a  science,  may  direct  the  order  of  his  studies,  but  he 
consults  other  authorities,  examines  and  weighs  the  evidence  and 
arguments,  forms  his  own  opinions,  and  rests  upon  his  own  con¬ 
clusions.  His  knowledge  then  becomes,  in  a  peculiar  manner,  his 
own.  It  is  not  simply  an  act  of  memory  referring  to  the  pages  of 
a  book,  but  it  is  a  part  ot  his  own  intellectual  consciousness.  It 
is  knowledge,  which  he  can  with  confidence,  apply  to  practical 
purposes.  And  the  University  should  be  a  place,  where  knowl¬ 
edge  of  this  kind,  on  all  known  subjects,  could  be  acquired.  Not 
that  every  student  would  be  expected  to  perfect  himself  in  all 
knowledge,  or  give  his  attention  to  all  the  subjects  of  knowledge. 
This  would  be  folly,  unless  he  had  reason  to  hope,  that  he  might 
reach  the  age  of  the  antediluvians.  But  the  means  should  be 


20 


provided  for  the  acquisition  of  every  kind  of  knowledge,  and  the 
student  allowed  to  select  the  studies  which  his  taste,  inclination, 
or  peculiar  talents  fitted  him  best  to  pursue.  It  would  be  useless 
here  to  enumerate  all  that  should  be  taught  in  an  University,  but 
the  leading  studies,  and  such  as  should  be  pursued  to  some  extent 
by  all,  may  be  comprised  under  the  heads  of  ancient  and  modern 
languages,  and  literature  ;  pure  and  mixed  Mathematics,  Natural 
Philosophy,  Chemistry,  and  Natural  Sceince,  Metaphysics,  Politi¬ 
cal  Economy,  History,  and  International  law.  Professional  schools, 
for  law,  Medicine,  and  Theology,  would  be  improved  by  a  connec¬ 
tion  with  the  University,  as  they  might  enjoy  all  the  advantages  of 
its  library,  lecture  rooms,  and  historical  collections,  without  addi¬ 
tional  cost  to  the  Institution.  Schools  of  this  kind  need  not  be 
supported  at  the  public  expense.  They  are  schools  designed  for 
the  sole  benefit  of  individuals,  who  can  well  afford  to  pay  the  ex¬ 
pense  of  lectures,  while  they  enjoy  all  other  advantages  of  the 
University.  Theological  schools,  in  our  country,  must  of  necessi¬ 
ty  be  supported,  wholly  by  the  several  religious  denominations; 
but  they  might  all  have  equal  privileges  in  the  University  ;  each 
Christian  denomination  might  establish  its  own  separate  school, 
and  support  its  own  teachers  ;  and  who  can  doubt  that  a  spirit  of 
true  Christian  liberality  and  charity,  would  be  promoted  by  the  free 
intercourse  of  students  of  different  creeds  and  modes  of  wrorship, 
in  the  same  general  Institution. 

In  speaking  of  the  three  successive  stages  of  Education,  and 
the  schools  proper  to  each,  I  have  sketched  a  system  of  public  in¬ 
struction  which  I  should  deem  the  most  efficient,  and  at  the  same 
time  the  most  economical,  that  could  be  adopted.  It  would  re¬ 
quire,  as  has  been  shown,  these  classes  of  Educational  Institutions, 
Common  Schools,  Intermediate  Schools,  and  Universities  ;  and  a 
single  University  would  be  sufficient  for  a  State,  even  after  its 
population  should  amount  to  three  or  four  millions.  I  believe  it 
would  be  most  efficient,  as  it  would  be  calculated  to  call  forth,  and 
develope,  and  discipline,  the  best  talent  of  the  State,  and  open 
for  it  a  wide  field  in  which  to  act.  I  believe  it  would  be  the  most 
economical,  because  it  wrould  save  the  expense  of  a  great  many 
small  libraries,  and  a  great  many  diminutive  cabinets,  and  imper¬ 
fect  sets  of  philosophical  apparatus,  and  collect,  at  a  far  less  ex¬ 
pense,  in  one  institution,  all  these  means  of  knowledge,  in  a  quan¬ 
tity  sufficient  to  be  eminently  useful.  It  would  save  also  the  sal- 


21 


aries  of  a  large  number  of  professors,  who  would  otherwise  be 
wanted  to  teach  in  a  great  number  ot  Colleges,  what  properly  be¬ 
longs  to  the  course  of  studies  in  the  University. 

One  question  still  remains,  and  that  is,  what  provision  could  be 
made  tor  the  moral  and  religious  instruction  of  the  youth  of  the 
State,  in  such  a  system  as  is  here  proposed.  I  do  not  disjoin 
moral,  from  religions  instruction  and  training,  because  I  believe 
them  to  be  inseparably  connected.  I  have  never  known  morale 
to  be  successfully  taught  without  religion ;  or  a  religion,  that  was 
worth  anything  without  moral  practice.  Had  we  all  the  same  re¬ 
ligious  belief,  there  could  be  no  difficulty  whatever  in  carrying  on 
intellectual  and  religious  training  at  the  same  time,  and  by  the 
same  instructors.  But  where  we  have  so  many  creeds,  and  so 
many  separate  religious  bodies,  not  at  all  times  on  the  best  terms 
with  each  other,  and  always  a  little  jealous  of  each  other’s  influ¬ 
ence,  it  is  not  easy  to  construct  a  system  free  from  objections.  In 
the  common  schools,  it  is  evident  that  but  one  course  can  be 
taken.  The  children  of  all  the  different  religious  sects  must  meet 
in  the  same  school,  and  the  peculiar  creed  of  no  one  can  be  taught 
in  the  school.  The  teacher  must  enforce  the  rules  of  Christian 
morality,  in  which  all  agree,  and  leave  religious  instruction  to 
others.  The  attempt  to  have  schools  established  by  each  religious 
persuasion,  would  destroy  the  schools,  except  in  large  towns,  hfor 
is  it  particularly  important  that  religious  knowledge  should  be 
communicated  in  these  schools.  The  children  are,  for  the  most 
part,  too  young  to  understand  the  differences  which  separate  the 
various  religious  sects.  They  are  but  a  few  hours  in  school,  and 
the  remainder  of  the  time  they  are  at  home  with  their  parents, 
who  can  either  teach  them  the  principles  of  their  own  religion,  or 
employ  persons  of  their  own  way  of  thinking,  to  do  it.  The  Sun¬ 
day  Schools  of  the  different  Christian  denominations,  may  well 
give  the  religious  instruction,  which  in  a  country  where  uniformi¬ 
ty  of  faith  prevailed,  would  be  given  in  the  common  schools.  It 
would  be  difficult,  however,  in  the  intermediate  schools.  These 
schools  could  not  be  established  in  every  neighborhood.  Children 
and  youth  must  be  sent  from  home  to  attend  them,  in  most  in¬ 
stances.  It  is  natural  for  parents  to  desire  that  their  children, 
when,  from  home,  should  be  subject  to  the  religious  influences 
which  they  approve.  It  is  right  that  they  should  do  so.  This  is 
not  bigotry,  it  is  simple  sincerity.  I  honor  them  for  it.  And  the 


22 


religious  influence  of  tlie  the  teacher  is  most  important  in  these 
intermediate  schools,  for  it  is  in  this  stage  of  Education,  that  the 
moral  and  religious,  as  well  as  the  intellectual  character  is  in  a 
state  of  formation.  There  is,  therefore,  no  objection  to  denomi¬ 
national  character  in  these  schools.  Among  the  number  which 
are  sure  to  be  established,  the  parent  will  always  be  able  to  find 
one  of  his  own  type  of  religion.  If  he  sends  his  child  from  home, 
it  matters  little,  with  our  present  facilities  for  travel,  whether  he 
send  him  twenty  miles  or  an  hundred.  If  the  school  be  in  his  im¬ 
mediate  neighborhood,  so  that  his  son  lodges  at  home,  he  can  him¬ 
self  attend  to  his  religious  teaching.  If  this  class  of  schools  are 
to  receive  anything  from  the  public  funds,  no  difficulty  need  arise 
from  their  religious  character,  for  the  amount  can  be  impartially 
distributed,  either  according  to  the  whole  number  of  pupils,  or  in 
proportion  to  the  services  rendered  the  State  in  educating  teach¬ 
ers  for  the  common  schools.  This  much  will  suffice  for  the  reli¬ 
gious  instruction  in  the  intermediate  schools.  But  in  the  Univer¬ 
sity  a  different  system  must  prevail.  The  University  is  for  the 
whole  State,  and  for  all  religious  denominations.  It  can,  there¬ 
fore,  teach  the  creed  of  none.  Nor  is  there  a  necessity  that  it 
should  afford  any  religious  instruction,  whatever.  By  the  time 
the  student  has  progressed  far  enough  for  the  Uuni versify,  his  re" 
ligious  education  may  be  supposed  to  be  complete,  and  his  reli¬ 
gious  character  formed,  so  far  as  it  can  be  done  by  instruction. 
He  is  then,  like  any  other  citizen,  free  to  choose  for  himself,  the 
religious  influences  to  which  he  will  be  subjected.  As  in  our 
towns  the  citizens  mingle  through  the  week  in  business,  or  social 
intercourse,  and  then  go  to  their  separate  places  of  worship  on  Sun¬ 
day.  I  see  not  why  the  students  of  the  University  could  not  be 
associated  in  the  pursuits  of  science  during  the  week,  and  wor¬ 
ship,  each  where  he  might  please  on  Sunday.  If  the  parent  still 
wished  his  son  to  have  a  religious  monitor,  he  could  commit  him 
to  the  care  of  the  minister  of  his  own  church.  The  University 
could  not  have  a  denominatioal  character,  and  no  one  ought  to 
desire  that  it  should  ;  and  I  see  no  difficulty  in  establishing  it  upon 
the  same  broad  principles  of  religious  liberty,  which  are  recog¬ 
nized  in  our  civil  institutions. 

Having  sketched  these  general  features  of  a  desirable  educational 
system  for  a  State,  it  remains  to  be  shown  how  far  they  can  be 
applied  to  the  circumstances  of  our  own  State.  It  is  by  no  means 


23 


derogatory  to  the  honor  of  our  growing  State,  to  say,  that  we  are 
not  sufficiently  advanced  to  adopt  such  a  system,  in  all  its  parts,  at 
the  present  time.  That  part  which  refers  to  common  schools,  is 
already  in  successful  operation.  Many  intermediate  schools  have 
been  established  by  various  religious  bodies  in  our  State ;  and 
some  of  them  are  in  a  flourishing  condition.  Hut  we  have  as  yet 
no  University,  worthy  of  the  name;  nor  is  it  probable,  that  a 
complete  institution  of  that  kind,  requiring  high  attainments  for 
admission  within  its  walls,  could,  at  once,  be  put  in  successful 
operation.  In  a  newr  country  the  demand  for  high  scientific  and 
scholastic  attainments,  is  not  sufficient  to  induce  many  persons  to 
spend  a  long  time  in  acquiring  them.  The  number  of  students 
who  would  be  desirous  of  pursuing  a  strict  University  course,  such 
as  has  been  described  above,  would  be  too  few  to  warrant  the 
establishment  of  an  institution  for  that  course  alone.  Neverthe¬ 
less,  it  is  wise  that  legislation  should,  from  the  first,  look  towards 
the  perfection  of  the  system,  and  shape  its  course  with  a  view  to 
its  final  completion. 

If  we  cannot  establish  an  University  of  the  first  class  at  once,  we 
should  aim  to  put  in  operation  an  institution  which  wfill  supply  the 
highest  educational  wants  of  the  State ;  and  thus  take  away  the 
necessity  of  a  resort  to  the  institutions  of  other  and  distant  States, 
for  the  completion  of  the  education  of  our  young  men. 

What  wre  have  now  to  do,  is  to  lay  well  the  foundation,  and 
build  upon  it,  as  the  exigencies  of  the  country  may  demand.  We 
may  begin,  by  fixing  the  qualifications  for  admission  to  the  Univer¬ 
sity  at  a  very  moderate  standard,  and  raise  the  standard  as  the 
demand  for  higher  scholarship  increases,  and  the  intermediate 
schools  prepare  their  scholars  more  perfectly  for  admission.  The 
University,  from  the  beginning,  should  be  made  the  best  institu¬ 
tion  in  the  State.  It  should  be  provided  with  able  professors,  in 
the  leading  departments,  and  with  means  to  make  their  instructions 
efficient  in  the  way  of  books  and  apparatus.  It  should  have  such 
accommodations  for  students  as  to  make  it  a  desirable  residence, 
and  the  expenses  of  board  and  instruction  should  be  within  the 
means  of  persons  of  moderate  circumstances. 

Such  an  institution,  if  conducted  with  prudence  and  energy, 
would  not  only  concentrate  the  patronage  of  the  whole  State,  but 
would  attract  students  from  abroad.  It  could  easily  be  enlarged 
so  as  to  meet  the  growing  wants  of  the  community,  and  become 


24 


both  an  honor  to  the  State  and  a  blessing  to  coining  generations. 
If  now  we  can  put  the  University  considerably  in  advance  of  the 
Colleges  already  founded  by  private  liberality,  it  can,  with  the 
funds  already  provided  by  the  General  Government,  easily  main¬ 
tain  its  superiority.  It  will  not  be  a  rival,  but  an  ally  of  these  in¬ 
stitutions.  It  will  complete  the  education  which  they  begin,  and 
which  they  cannot  well  finish,  without  an  outlay  much  beyond 
their  means.  It  will  stimulate  their  students  to  industry,  who  will 
be  desirous  of  taking  a  high  rank  in  the  University,  and  gradua¬ 
ting  with  honor  from  the  first  institution  in  the  State.  It  will  fix 
a  standard  of  scholarship  for  all  the  inferior  schools.  It  will  edu¬ 
cate  professors  for  the  Colleges,  and  teachers  for  the  high  schools ; 
and  these  in  turn  will  prepare  teachers  for  the  common  schools,  so 
that  its  influence  will  be  felt  in  the  whole  educational  system  of 
the  State.  It  will  be  a  centre  of  light  in  the  midst  of  the  system, 
sending  iorth  its  rays  on  every  side,  and  illuminating,  with  its 
cheering  beams,  the  humblest  school  house  by  the  way-side. 

What  I  have  said  in  favor  of  a  State  system  ot  education,  with  a 
University  as  its  head,  is  clearly  supported  by  the  experience  of 
those  who  have  put  such  a  system  in  operation. 

In  Virginia,  a  State  University  was  established  about  forty  years 
ago,  and  the  bounty  of  the  State,  with  a  few  exceptions,  has  been 
confined  to  this  one  institution.  Its  success  has  been  triumphant. 
It  is  now  the  first  institution  in  the  South,  and  boasts  a  large  body 
of  professors,  as  able  as  any  in  the  land,  and  numbers  above  seven 
hundred  pupils. 

At  a  later  date,  Uorth  Carolina  established  her  State  institution 
at  Chapel  Hill.  It,  too,  has  been  eminently  successful,  and  now 
sends  forth  large  numbers  of  well  educated  men,  whose  influence 
is  felt  in  that  spirit  ot  improvement  which  of  late  has  begun  to 
pervade  the  State. 

The  Western  States  were  provided  by  the  liberality  of  Congress 
with  the  means  for  founding  Universities.  Two  townships,  or 
seventy-two  sections  of  land,  were  given  to  each  for  that  purpose. 
In  only  one  of  these  States  has  the  experiment  of  a  State  Univer¬ 
sity  been  fully  tried:  and  there  it  has  succeeded  even  beyond  the 
most  sanguine  expectations  of  its  founders.  The  State  of  Michi¬ 
gan,  at  an  early  date  in  her  history  as  a  State,  made  provision  for 
a  State  University.  The  lands  given  by  Congress  were  sacredly 
set  apart  as  a  fund  for  that  purpose,  and  a  school  was  established 


suited  to  the  wants  of  the  State.  This  school,  which  was  always 
in  advance  of  all  the  institutions  ot  the  State,  has  been  constantly 
improving,  and  may  now  justly  claim  the  name  of  University.  It 
has  now  twenty-four  professors  and  assistant  professors,  and  four 
hundred  and  thirty  students ;  and  its  course  of  studies  compares 
favorably  with  any  similar  institution  in  the  land.  The  funds,  with 
careful  management,  now  yield  an  income  exceeding  $30,000  per 
annum. 

In  Wisconsin  the  same  wise  policy  has  been  pursued,  and  the 
gift  of  Congress  has  been  forever  secured  for  the  purposes  of  the 
State  University.  With  a  spirit  which  is  honorable  to  that  young 
State,  the  Legislature  added  to  the  fund  seventy-two  sections  ot 
land  subsequently  ceded  to  the  State  by  Congress,  so  that  the 
University  has  for  its  foundation  one  hundred  and  forty-four  sec¬ 
tions  of  land,  valued  even  now  at  $300,000. 

From  the  University  of  Wisconsin  we  have  yet  no  right  to  ex¬ 
pect  the  same  success  as  that  which  has  been  achieved  in  Michigan. 
It  has  not  been  so  long  in  operation  by  near  twenty  years,  and  the 
State  being  new,  there  is  not  so  great  a  demand  for  a  high  standard 
of  education.  Other  circumstances  have  also  retarded  its  growth. 
It  had  not  the  necessary  buildings  and  fixtures.  The  town  in  which 
it  is  located  was  rapidly  built  up,  and  crowded  with  inhabitants, 
and  there  were  no  accommodations  for  the  board  and  lodging  of 
students.  These  deficiencies  have  been  remedied  by  the  erection 
of  suitable  buildings,  and  the  University  of  Wisconsin,  with  her 
able  chancellor  and  professors,  will  soon  take  her  stand  among  the 
first  educational  institutions  of  the  West. 

IOWA  STATE  UNIVERSITY. 

Our  own  State  University  has  partially  failed  for  like  causes.  It 
was  organized  and  put  in  operation  in  1855,  but  it  had,  at  the  time, 
neither  buildings,  apparatus  nor  library,  at  all  adequate  to  the  wants 
of  such  an  institution.  It  became  a  mere  local  school,  for  there 
were  no  accommodations  for  students  from  abroad.  For  the  re¬ 
sults  of  this  experiment,  of  establishing  a  University  with  such 
limited  means,  I  quote  the  language  of  Mr.  Fisher,  the  accom¬ 
plished  Superintendant  of  Public  Instruction,  in  his  repert  to  the 
(jfeneral  Assembly  in  1858. 

“ - The  whole  number  of  students  in  the  University,  is  one 


26 


hundred  and  twenty-four.  Of  this  number  65  are  in  the  preparato¬ 
ry,  and  40  in  the  Normal  department.  Some  students  are  both  in 
the  preparatory,  and  in  the  Normal  departments  ;  and  some  from 
both  these  departments,  receive  instruction  in  the  departments  be¬ 
longing  to  the  University  proper ;  but  there  are  probably  not 
thirty  of  the  whole  number  pursuing  a  regular  University  course. 

This  is  indeed  a  small  number.  But  of  the  whole  number  of  stu- 

% 

dents,  103  are  from  Iowa  City,  and  of  the  remainder,  14  are  from 
Johnson  county,  and  only  seven  from  other  counties  in  the  State. 
Thirty  students  may  be  a  small  number  for  a  whole  State,  but  it 
is  sufficiently  large  lor  a  single  city.  We  come  then  to  this  result, 
that  the  benefits  of  the  University  are  almost  exclusively  confined 
to  Iowa  City.  This  is  not  the  fault  of  the  people  of  that  city.  The 
University  is  established  there  by  law  ;  and  they  avail  themselves 
of  the  advantages  which  it  affords,  as  they  have  a  right  to  do. 

We  have  a  University  munificently  endowed,  with  faithful  and 
able  professors  ;  yet  our  young  men  are  obliged  to  resort  to  other 
States  to  obtain  a  classical  education.  And  the  reason  is  this,  we 
have  made  no  provision  to  accommodate  them  with  suitable  rooms 
for  study.  It  costs  a  young  man,  seeking  a  liberal  education,  more 
to  procure  board  and  a  suitable  room  for  study  in  Iowa  City,  than 
his  whole  education  would  cost  in  most  of  the  colleges  of  other 
States.  But  let  there  be  a  suitable  building  erected  to  accom¬ 
modate  students  with  rooms,  and  a  liberal  education  may  be  ac¬ 
quired  with  as  little  expense  here,  as  at  any  College  in  the  United 
States.  It  now  remains  only  for  the  State  to  defray  the  expense 
ot  erecting  the  proposed  building.  It  is  indispensible  that  this 
should  be  done,  in  order  that  the  people  of  the  whole  State,  may 
participate  in  the  advantages  of  the  University  ;  if  not  it  must  be¬ 
come  a  local  institution,  devoted  to  the  education  of  the  boys  and 
girls  of  Iowa  City.” 

Such  was  the  language  of  the  report,  made  to  the  General  As¬ 
sembly  in  1858,  and  for  the  reasons  given  in  the  report,  the  Trus¬ 
tees  closed  the  University,  except  the  Normal  department,  until  the 
means  could  be  obtained  to  erect  the  necessary  buildings.  They 
estimated  the  cost  of  a  building  tor  students’ rooms,  and  the  repairs 
and  alterations  necessary  on  the  State  House  at  Iowa  City,  (which 
had  been  given  to  the  University) ;  at  twenty-five  thousand  dol¬ 
lars  ;  and  asked  the  legislature  to  make  an  appropriation  of  that 
amount  in  order  to  enable  them  to  put  the  University  in  success- 


27 


ful  operation.  Thirteen  thousand  onty  was  granted.  Three  thou¬ 
sand  for  the  repairs  on  the  State  House,  and  ten  thousand  to  be 
expended  in  the  erection  and  completion  of  another  building. 
Neither  of  these  appropriations  was  adequate  to  its  object. 

The  three  thousand  dollars  appropriated  for  the  repairs  of  the 
State  House,  were  expended  in  putting  a  new  roof  on  the  building, 
in  place  of  the  old  one,  which  was  leaky  and  rotten  ;  and  in  fitting 
up  rooms  for  the  Library  and  Cabinet  of  Natural  History.  The 
ten  thousand  for  students  rooms,  were  laid  out  in  a  building 
designed  for  that  purpose.  That  building  remains  in  an  unfinish¬ 
ed  state,  being  simply  enclosed  and  roofed,  and  no  rooms  finished 
within  ;  the  appropriation  being  insufficient  to  finish  it.  In  un¬ 
dertaking  to  do  what  they  designed  in  the  way  of  repairs  and  build¬ 
ing,  the  trustees  fell  into  the  common  error  of  under-estimaing  the 
cost.  The  repairs  on  the  old  building  were  essential  to  its  preser¬ 
vation,  and  the  new  building  is  no  larger  than  the  necessities  of 
the  University  demand.  It  is  of  good  architectural  proportions, 
and  built  in  the  most  substantial  manner.  While  this  building  re¬ 
mains  unfinished,  there  are  the  same  reasons  for  keeping  the  Uni¬ 
versity  closed,  that  there  were  for  closing  it  in  1858.  If  students 
from  abroad  cannot  be  accommodated  with  rooms  for  study,  and 
there  is  no  provision  for  lecture  rooms,  and  suitable  apparatus,  the 
University,  if  re-opened,  can  be  nothing  more  than  a  mere  local 
school  for  the  benefit  of  a  single  city.  It  was  not  designed  to  be 
such.  Its  funds  were  not  given  for  that  purpose  by  Congress,  and 
provision  should  be  made  for  carrying  out  the  full  design  of  the 
trust. 

I  repeat  what  I  said  before,  the  University  is  not  an  institution 
for  the  benefit  of  any  particular  locality.  It  must  of  necessity  have 
a  location,  and  will  be  an  incidental  benefit  to  the  people  in  the 
vicinity  ;  but  it  belongs  to  the  State, — it  is  lor  the  benefit  of  the 
citizens  of  the  whole  State,  and  they  have  an  interest  in  putting  it 
in  such  a  condition  as  will  make  it  a  benefit  to  all.  When  the 
University  opens  next  September,  as  the  trustees  hope  it  may,  let 
it  not  open  as  a  mere  local  school  for  boys  ;  but  as  a  well  appoint¬ 
ed  institution  of  learning,  to  which  young  men  from  all  parts  of 
the  State  may  resort ;  an  institution  which  will  recall  from  the  col¬ 
leges  and  Universities  of  other  States,  the  hundreds  of  our  young 
men,  who  have  been  compelled  to  go  abroad  to  complete  their  ed¬ 
ucation. 


28 


APPROPRIATION  ASKED  FOR. 

From  the  report  of  the  board  of  Trustees  to  the  General  Assem¬ 
bly,  I  learn  that  I  am  expected  to  express  my  opinion  as  to  the 
means  required  to  enable  them  to  re-open  the  University  in  Sep¬ 
tember  next.  I  have  already  stated  what  was  necessary  to  be 
done.  After  a  pretty  careful  examination  I  should  not  differ  from 
their  estimate  in  the  aggregate.  Fifteen  thousand  dollars  econo¬ 
mically  expended  would  be  no  more  than  sufficient  to  complete  the 
new  building,  finish  the  repairs  on  the  old,  and  put  it  in  a  proper 
condition,  for  the  purposes  required.  Ten  thousand  dollars  was 
the  estimate  of  the  architect,  for  the  completion  of  the  new  build¬ 
ing,  and  it  is  not  generally  safe  to  go  much  below  such  estimates. 
But  if  on  account  of  the  reduction,  in  the  price  of  building  materi¬ 
als,  this  estimate  should  prove  too  high,  the  excess  and  more  than 
that,  could  be  profitably  spent,  in  addition  to  the  $5000  asked  for, 
to  fit  up  the  old  building  and  to  procure  necessary  apparatus.  The 
old  Hall  of  Representatives,  is  to  be  fitted  up  for  a  Chapel ;  the 
Lecture  Rooms  are  to  be  provided  with  seats,  and  cases  are  to  be 
made  for  the  reception  and  sate  keeping  of  the  apparatus.  Pro¬ 
vision  is  to  be  made  for  a  chemical  laboratory,  and  when  all  this 
is  done,  there  will  remain  but  a  very  small  sum  for  the  purchase  of 
chemical  apparatus.  The  department  of  chemistry  is  one  of  the 
most  important  in  a  State  University,  for  besides  affording  instruc¬ 
tion  in  that  most  useful  branch  of  science,  it  affords  the  means  of 
analyzing  soils,  earths  and  minerals  ;  thus  aiding  in  the  geological 
survey  of  the  State,  and  helping  to  develope  its  resources.  A  much 
larger  amount  than  that  asked  for  by  the  trustees  could  be  expended 
to  advantage,  but  I  am  still  of  the  opinion  that  $15000  judicially 
expended,  would  put  the  University  in  a  condition  to  meet  the 
present  educational  wants  of  the  State,  and  render  further  appro¬ 
priations  unnecessary  for  some  years  to  come. 

If  a  less  sum  than  this  is  appropriated,  the  University  will  be 
crippled  in  its  operations,  and  will  be  obliged  to  apply  for  further 
aid  at  a  future  time.  If  no  appropriation  is  made,  I  see  not  how 
it  can  be  opened  at  all,  and  it  must  remain  closed  for  three  years 
to  come ;  two  years,  till  at  another  session  of  the  General  Assem¬ 
bly  the  necessary  funds  may  be  granted,  and  one  year  after  that, 
until  the  work  can  be  done.  The  Trustees  have  no  election  in  this 


29 


matter.  There  are  no  funds  in  their  hands  which  they  can  legally 
apply  to  the  erection  or  completion  of  buildings.  The  Constitution 
of  the  State  declares  that  the  lands  granted  by  Congress  shall  be 
tor  the  support  of  the  University,  and  a  law  of  the  State  restrains 
the  income  of  the  fund  to  the  same  purpose. 

With  respect  to  the  further  appropriation  of  five  thousand  dob 
lars  to  replace  the  money-  borrowed  from  the  interest  fund,  I  have 
nothing  further  to  remark,  than  that  the  University  cannot  well 
spare  anything  from  its  capital,  nor  anything  from  its  funds,  which 
the  law  designed  should  be  added  to  its  capital.  Whether  the 
Trustees  had  a  right  to  borrow  this  fund  for  building  purposes,  or 
whether  the  appropriation  of  1858  was  expended  according  to  law, 
it  is  not  for  me  to  decide.  The  present  Board  of  Trustees  have  no 
responsibility  in  the  matter.  By  the  law  passed  by  the  Board  of 
Education  in  December,  1858,  the  Constitution  of  the  Board  was 
remodeled  and  an  entire  new  Board  appointed.  I  have  never  con¬ 
versed  with  the  members  of  the  old  Board,  on  the  subject  of  the 
buildings,  and  know  not  how  they  regarded  the  law  under  which 
they  acted.  I  believe,  however,  from  an  inspection  of  the  build¬ 
ings  themselves,  that  the  money  expended  was  faithfully  and  judi¬ 
ciously  applied  for  the  benefit  of  the  University.  It  is  all  on  the 
grounds  in  substantial  brick  and  mortar,  and  when  fitted  for  the 
residence  of  students,  will  be  no  larger  than  the  wants  of  the  Uni¬ 
versity  demand.  But  if  the  old  Board  of  Trustees  did  err  in  the 
application  of  the  appropriation  of  1858,  it  should  be  borne  in  mind 
that  the  Trustees  are  not  the  University.  They  are  but  the  agents 
of  the  State  to  execute  a  certain  trust.  They  die,  but  the  Univer¬ 
sity  survives.  Their  office  expires,  or  they  are  removed  from  it, 
and  others  are  appointed  in  their  places ;  but  the  University  re¬ 
mains  one  and  the  same.  They  are  individually  accountable  for 
the  manner  in  which  they  execute  a  trust  confided  to  them,  but 
the  University  cannot  be  involved  in  their  acts.  To  visit  upon  a 
public  institution  the  errors  of  the  agents  acting  for  that  institution 
in  behalf  of  the  State,  would  only  be  multiplying  the  evil. 

UNIVERSITY  FUND. 

I  have  one  other  subject  to  bring  to  your  notice,  and  then  I 
shall  close.  I  have  already  remarked  that  nothing  could  be  spar¬ 
ed  from  the  capital  funds  of  the  university.  The  capital  is  much 


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